The word tedious in paragraph 2, is CLOSEST in meaning to

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate correct answer to each of the questions from 36 to 42.
Artificial intelligence (AI) and related technologies are increasingly prevalent in business and society; besides, they have been applied to education. These technologies have the potential to transform many aspects of the teaching - learning process.
Basic activities in education like grading can be automated with the help of AI. At educational institutes, marking a large number of tests and assignments is tedious work. Teachers often find that grading takes up a considerable amount of time which can be used to interact with students and prepare for class. AI, at present, may not be able to actually replace human grading; however, it's getting pretty close. Nearly all kinds of multiple choice and fill-in- the blank testing can now be performed by AI-driven machines, and automated grading of student writing may not be far behind. Essay-grading softwares are still in their infancy, yet they will be fully developed over the coming years, allowing teachers to focus ‘more on classroom activities and professional development.
Learners can also get additional support from AI. For instance, tutoring programs based on artificial intelligence already exist to help students with basic courses of mathematics, writing, foreign language, etc. With the rapid pace of technological advancement in recent years, sophisticated tutoring systems which can help students learn high order thinking and stimulate their creativity will not be a pipe dream. Moreover, AI programs can give learners useful feedback and assistance. Some schools, especially those with online courses, are using AI systems to monitor students’ progress. These systems not only offer students advice on individual courses but also help students choose majors in accordance with areas where they succeed or struggle. For better or worse, AI systems have taken place in certain types of classroom activities.
In the next decades, their influences will extend significantly, which offers both teacher and students a much wider range of services.

(Adapted from www.qualifacie)